Coaster sled



Jan. 3, 1933. l R R WALgE 1,893,381

' COASTER sLED Filed NOV. ll, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTDR TTnRNEYJr Jan. 3, 1933.

R. R. WALKER y COA'STER SLED v Filed Nov. l1. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNvENTDR @6M/mw BYW HT T n R N E Y Patented Jan. 3, 1933 i RAYMoiin n. WALK-sn, or roLLANsBnE", weer VIRGINIA .i

l l Ap'pncatiqnfeieanovember 11, i930; serial no." 494,591.

This invention' relates v4broadly to coasters of sledform, and more specifically to steering mechanism for such coasters.`

The primary object ofthe inventiony is t provide in a coaster, a simple and practical rudder-like device whereby steering-of the coaster mayreadily be edected.

' A further obj ect is to provide an improved formof device whereby steering of coaster' sleds maybe conveniently effected' without imposing upon the runners andl frame of the sled the bending strains which 'are inherent to the use'of the usual or common forms of l steering devices which require ythat the front endsof the runners be bent or -liexed from side to side for directing the courseof the sled. Y In describing the invention in detail, ref- Verence is herein had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Y A n Figure l is a top plan view of a coaster sled embodying my invention, the rear endn portions'of the seating boards being broken Vaway;

Figure 2 is Van "enlarged top plan view of the rear end portion of the sled; Y

Figure 3 is a section online 3 3, Fig. 2; n Figure 4 is Va perspective' view of the cam face of a disk;`

i Figure 5 is a rear end elevation of the sled;

a Figure 6 is a view similar to Fig.2, illustrating a modification; C

Figure 7 is a longitudinal section on line Te-7, Fig. 6;,and Y' Y Figure 8 is a cross section on line 8,-8,

y ,Referringto said drawings, l designates opposite parallel frame members connected by a pluralityk of cross members 2, and 3 indicates the parallel runners of a sled kof an ordinary commercial type, said runners being connected at their front and rear ends to the corresponding ends of the thereto adjacent frame members `l, as by suitably shaped end members 4 and v45. Said runners are also held intermediate their ends inmore or less rigidrelation'to the frame, "as by means of angularly' disposed rod-like brace [members 50 6 interposed between, and preferably having their ends welded to, the runners and the cross members 2,'as shown. Y' Rigidly mounted on theunder side of the rearmost of lthe vcross members 2 approXi-' matelyv midway between'the opposite ends thereofis a horizontally disposed metal disk 7.V As herein shown, said rearmost member 2 has formed therein a centrally located ring 8, and thedisk'lw is located concentrically with respect to said ring, being permanentlyand rigidly attached, as byvwelding, to the latter; Disposed in Aparallel underlying relation tosaizddisk 7 is a similar disk 9 which carriesji'n rigid relation thereto, as on the under side thereof, a transversely disposed-bar 10 providing opposite-laterally extending arms l0. 'A pivot-pin'or'bolt l1 is directed centrally through and connects said disks 7 and 9, the lower end of said bolt carrying an adjusting nut 12 between-which andthe bar 10` is disposed -a spiral spring 14:. i

rlhe disk? lhas formedonthe under face thereof in locations equidistant from itsaXis Y a plurality of relatively spaced downwardly extending cam members i3, each 0f arcuate form in longitudinal section.V The disk'9 possesses a form 'similar to that of the disk 7 ,but has the cam members l'thereof formedv on its top face. i Thus, when the lower disk`9 is rotated either to the right or to Atheleft rela- .tive to the nrqed upper disk 7, the cam members 'l5 thereof, normally disposed intermediate the cam members 13 of the upperdisk, ride up over the surfaces of said cam members 13 ina manner which will readily be understood, and this action causes said lowerdisk to be forced downward againstjthe tension of the'spring 14, which latter tends normally to Vmaintain lsaid disk vin its elevated position and, consequently, to retard rotaryI movement of" said -disk in either direction. In the embodiment sho'wn in'Figs. l to 5, the disks v"4' and y9 are formed of heavy sheet metal and havethe cam members thereof formed by producing'parallel slits yinthe bodies thereof 'and by thrusting the metal between said slits outward in the required arcuate form.

Said lower disk '9 has rigidly mounted thereon a'rudder 16 which vfis shown inthe present embodiment as 'formed-of a single :sok

ydisk 9, the rudder is supported with the run ner member 16 thereof in, or slightly ele-- vated with respect to, the plane occupied -by the sled runners 8. However, when rotary movement in either direction is imparted to said disk 9, the latter is resultantly depressed to the extent that the runner member 16 of the thereby carried rudder is thrust into close bearingengagement with the surface of the ground or pathway upon which the sled travels and ysaid member is atthe Sametime shifted out of parallel alinement with the sled runners, thereby, through engagement with the ground, to effect a corresponding shifting of the course of travel of the sled.

`Suitable additional means is preferably provided for supporting and steadying the rudder in its normal inoperative position, the means herein shown including a seat formed by the provision of a recess, as 21, in the under side of a cross member 2 located forward of that which carries the disk 7,` said seat being adapted for the reception of a portion of the foremost member 2O of the terminals of the rudder, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

The means by which the operator controls the direction of travel of the sled comprises a transverse steering bar 22 pivoted interf mediate its ends, as at 23, upon a stationary part, as a .seating board 24, ,at the front end of the sled. Crossed cables or rods 25 Vconnect the opposite end portions of said steeringbar 22 to the opposite ends or armsflO of the transverse bar 10.

' Manifestly, forwardly directed force applied by the operator to `an Yend of "said steering bar v22 is transmitted through the int mediate cable l25 to the opposite end of the par 10 for producing rotary movement of the disk 9 in the direction which effects shiftingy of the rudder to incline the latter `toward, or more nearly toward, the point of the force application. Immediately following the release of the applied steering force, the tension spring 14 actuates return rotary movement of said disk 9 and, consequently, elevating movement of said -rudder to a nonsteering position. y

In the modified form shown in Figs. 6 and 7, upper and lower disks 7a and9t* are substituted for the disks 7 and 9 lhereinbefore described, the former havinga substantially fiat face and being rigidly carried by the ring or loop 8 ofthe cross member 2 andthe 1 disk 92L .being pivotally ,attachedQon the 1unrudder to its normaliposition following use olf Che latter in changing the course of the s e What is claimed is- 1. In a coaster sled having a manually Shfmble ,Stemma member, a Pair 0f, pivotally related elements, one of said elements being rigidly mounted on the lrear-mol of the top frame of the sled, the other ofsaid ieglements being carried. by and rotatable relative to said fired element, said .elements y lilv` ing relatively interengageable cam surfaces formed on confronting faces ,thereo f,.a roadway-*contacting rudder carried by said roy, tary element, `resilient means normally tend-,- ing to maintain said rotary element in 1anelevated position wherein .said rudder is rendered inoperative, and Ymeans ,intermediate said steering member land said rotary element whereby shiftingmovements imparted ytothefornfier actuates rotary .movements s of the latter for causing said cam surfaces to cooperate for effecting depression Jof said rudder to operative posit-ion for predeterniredly changing the course ,of travel ofthe s e 2, In a coaster sled,` a pair ofpnivotally related .disks having relatively spacedv'cam members on their confronting faces, one of said disks being -rigidly .mountedon .the rear end of the top frameof thesled, the Votherof said disks being carriedbyand rotatablereL ative to said fixed disk, a roadway-*contacting rudder carried in fixed relation to said ,rof tary disk, said rotary disk having yits cam members movable into and lout of ridin relation 4to the cam members o f said ixe disk in rotary movements thereof whereby said rudder is lowered into and Velevated from operative relation` to the roadway, resilientv means tending normally to main@ tain said .rotary disk in the position wherein said rudder occupies `its elevated inoperative position, a manually shiftable member on the frontl portion of the sled, and means intermediate said shiftable member and said rotary disk-whereby movements imparted to the former actuate lrotary movements `of the latter foreifecting simultaneous lowering and angular shifting of 4said rudder.

In a coaster sled, a lpair ,of pivotal-ly related disks having relatively .spaced @am members 0n their Confrarmmg fares 011e .of Said disks being rigidly mounted .011 @hmmm fmCl V0f the LOP imm@ Of .the sled, @heather of said disks being rotatable relative to said fixed disk, a rudder having a road-contacting portion normally occupying parallel relation to the runners of the sled, said rudder being carried in fixed relation to `said rotary disk, said rotary disk having the cam members thereof movable into and out of riding relation to the cam members of the fixe-d disk in rotary movements thereof whereby said rudder is lowered into and elevated out of engagement with the roadway, resilient means tending normally to maintain said rotary disk in the position wherein said rudder is elevated, a manually shiftable member on the front end of the sled, and means interposed between the last mentioned member and said rotary disk whereby movements of the former actuate predetermined rotary movements of the latter for effecting simultaneous lowering and angular shifting movements of said rudder.

et. In a coaster sled, a frame, parallel runners, a member mounted for rotary movements on said frame, a rudder supported by said rotary member and adapted to engage the roadway for directing the course of the sled, resilient means normally holding said member elevated to a position wherein said rudder clears the roadway, manually shiftable means having connection with said member for imparting rotary movement to the latter whereby said rudder is shifted out of parallel relation to said runners, and means operative to depress said rotary member for lowering said rudder into road engaging position when said rudder is shifted out of parallel relation to said runners, the last mentioned means including interengageable cam elements carried by the frame and the rotary member.

5. In a coaster sled, a frame, parallel run-y ners, a member mounted for rotary movements on said frame, a rudder supported and depending from said rotary member, said rudder being vertically shiftaole into and out of engagement with the roadway for directing the course of the sled, a spring normally holding said rotary member in an elevated position wherein said rudder is elevated from the roadway, manually shiftable means carried by the frame, means connecting said shiftable means to said rotary member whereby movements of the former are communicated to the latter for effecting corresponding lateral shifting movements of said rudder, and interengageable cam elements borne, respectively, by said frame and said rotary member and operative against the holding force of said spring to lower said rotary member when the latter is rotated to dispose said rudder in non-parallel relation to said runners.

6. In a coaster sled, a frame, parallel runners, a fixed member carried by said frame, a member mounted for rotary movements on the under side of said fixed-member, resilient means normally tending to maintain said members having cam surfaces on their confronting faces adapted toA cooperate in movements of said rotary member for lowering the latter against the force exerted by said resilient means, a rudder supported by said rotary member and having a part adapted in the lowered position of said member to rotary member in an elevated position, said engage the roadway for directing the course said elements being rigidly mounted on thev frame of the sled, the other of said elements being supported by and rotatable relative to said fixed elements for disposing said cam surfaces of the elements in and out of riding relation, a spring vnormally holding said rotary element elevated relative to said fixed element, a roadway contacting rudder, carried by said rotary element, a pivotally mounted steering member, and means intermediate said steering member and said rotary element whereby shifting movements of the former actuate rotary movements of the latter for changing the angular relation of said rudder to the sled runners.

8. In a coaster vehicle'includingy a frame and a manually shiftable steeringrmember, a pair of pivotally related elements embodying interengageable cam surfaces, one of said elements being fixed to said frame and the other being adapted for simultaneous rotary and vertical shifting movements relative to said fixed element, resilient means normally tending to maintain said rotary element in elevated position, a rudder device movable into and out of vehicle-guiding contact with the roadway with lowering and elevating movements of said rotary element, and means intermediate said'steering member and said rotary element whereby manual shifting of the former actuates rudder-lowering rotary movement of the latter.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

RAYMOND R. WALKER. 

